Happy Birthday Ethan

Ethan's great-grandparents came for his 3rd birthday. It was so nice to have them here to celebrate with us. This is their first great-grandchild.





But this wasn't the way it was supposed to be. This wasn't how we planned to celebrate his 3rd birthday.

When my daughter was pregnant, Michael and I told her that on Ethan's 3rd birthday, we would take him to Disneyland. Of course that meant we'd take the whole family. We knew at the time it would be an expensive trip, but this was our first grandbaby. With 5 kids, we'd never been able to be so extravagant. So why not with our grandson? Afterall, we would be taking our 5 kids too and it would be a grand time for all.

We had no way of knowing that just months after Ethan's birth Michael would no longer have a job. But honestly, that wouldn't have stopped this. Michael has always been very good with our finances and provided well, and he would make it happen.

We knew things like finances could be a problem, but we never anticipated Ethan might not be ready for Disneyland. How could we know that? Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that at 3 he would not be speaking any words. I never thought he would have seizures and be on medications. Nor could any of us have known that this sweet, beautiful boy would have the struggles he has.

Just to see his smile, you'd never know anything was wrong. All you'd see is his curly hair, inquisitive blue eyes, and a big grin. But when you spoke to him and he didn't respond, you might begin to wonder. His jerky hand movement as he waved, or his awkward gait might tell you something was not quite right. If you asked him if he wanted to go to Disneyland, he probably wouldn't even look up at you. Ethan is not ready for Disneyland.

Will he be ready next year? Will he be able to say "mama?" Will he understand what a plane ride is? Will his face light up when we tell him he is going to meet Mickey Mouse? We don't know. It's hard to know what next year holds. It's difficult to imagine him talking and laughing while waiting in line for the next ride. It's not easy to dream about what the future holds.

We have learned new things about life from Ethan. And we have learned to celebrate the little things. This wasn't the plan for Ethan's 3rd birthday. But we had a glorious time anyway.

Happy 3rd Birthday Ethan!